


Steve

by Anonymous_muxician



Series: Each time Wanda gained the respect she deserves [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Apologies, Awesome Wanda Maximoff, BAMF Wanda Maximoff, Give this woman a freakin break, Other, Sparring, wanda maximoff is the strongest avenger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:34:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29913537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_muxician/pseuds/Anonymous_muxician
Summary: Each time Wanda gained the respect of an Avenger
Relationships: Wanda Maximoff & Avengers Team, Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers
Series: Each time Wanda gained the respect she deserves [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199708
Kudos: 10





	Steve

At first, all Steve could see when he looked at Wanda was the girl who’d managed to force him into his worst nightmare with nothing more than a wave of her hand.

The girl herself was… unsettling. Beautiful, with her pale skin, dark hair, and dull, piercing green eyes that seemed to bore into you wherever you went. Every movement she made was controlled, the set of her shoulders right down to the tilt of her head. Knowing what she was thinking was impossible, unless she herself wanted it to be possible.

It’s the reason Steve finds it so surprising any time her face twitches into an expression other than frighteningly blank.

They were training, as they always were at this time of day. Steve was surprised to learn that Wanda was actually quite well versed in physical combat. She’d obviously had some sort of training in martial arts as she tucked and rolled around him to evade his hits.

She was fast, faster than he’d expected, and she managed to get quite a few hits on him. He’d asked her not to use her powers during hand-to-hand, and she’d obliged, using nothing more than her hands and her wits, which he was surprised to see likely surpassed his own.

They were both out of breath, Wanda more so from the continued effort from Steve and the fact that she wasn’t a super soldier. But regardless, she did not stand down, she did not falter, not even when Steve managed to clip her shoulder.

Sweat dripped down her pale face, but she did not flinch. She managed to grab the upper hand, launching herself at him and somehow ending up behind him. He felt her climb on his back, one leg coming to wrap around his neck even as her body swung down, every move more calculated than the last, and the next thing Steve knew, he was on his back with a strong thigh gripping tight above his chest.

He tapped his hand against the mat three times, signaling his accepted defeat, and Wanda released her hold immediately, jumping up and holding a hand out in an offer to help him up.

Steve barely hesitated before he grabbed it, surprised to see that Wanda barely moved when he pulled against it with some of his weight.

Wanda only looked at him, her face still carefully blank. It was unsettling, fighting someone who’s expression never changed, a trait he’d really only seen from Natasha, whom he knew had spent the majority of her life training, taught to be like that.

“Good job, kid.” Steve said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Something twitched in Wanda’s face, and Steve blinked in surprise. “I am not a kid.” Wanda rebutted, her accent thick, though she didn’t sound hostile. Or even irritated, really.

Steve tilted his head. He just realized that he didn’t actually know how old Wanda was. She’d been there for weeks, and the only thing he knew about her was where she was from and that her brother had been killed during the experiments that gave her the powers she herself possessed.

“Really. How old are you, then?” Steve asked, curious. He took a few steps to the side, picking up his water bottle from where he had placed it before their sparring session, drinking from it as he waited for Wanda’s answer.

The girl hesitated, and Steve was surprised to see her expression flicker again into something more halting. She was obviously debating whether she should tell him or not as she scanned his features, looking for the answers to her questions.

Strangely, Steve didn’t mind the searching, and he didn’t feel as if she was in his head any more than she could help.

“I am nineteen.”

Steve exhaled, carefully controlled even as his throat quivered at the strain. She was younger than he’d thought. He’d assumed early twenties, at least, but now it turns out that she’s not even of legal drinking age in America.

“Don’t.” Wanda spoke again, frowning. “Don’t pity me.”

“I don’t pity you.” He said. “I _don’t_.” He repeated upon seeing the incredulity on Wanda’s face. “I was surprised, but I don’t pity you. I don’t think I could.”

Steve’s mind flashed back to the memory Wanda had pulled out of him, and Wanda looked away. She opened her mouth, as if preparing to speak before closing it again and looking back at him.

“Steve.”

She waited for him to look into her eyes. He did, and as dull green met bright blue, he blinked in surprise at what waited for him.

Guilt. The guilt on Wanda’s face was plain as day, as if it had been there all along and he had just missed it. But no, that hadn’t happened. She was _showing_ him her guilt, because she wanted him to know how sincere she was.

“I am sorry.” Wanda said, voice clear and unmistakable. “There is no excuse for what I did to your team, and there is nothing I will be able to do to make it better, but that is why I’m here. I’ve always wanted to make the world better, and now I feel as if it is possible. Here, with you all.”

Wanda has not said it to give excuses, or to gain pity or even his forgiveness. She has said it purely because she wanted him to _know._ Wanted him to see that she was different, but also the same as she’d always been.

Something changed in Steve then. In that moment, it felt as if Wanda had taken her place in his heart, fully, as a member of his team. As someone he could believe in and trust to take his life in their hands and protect it.

Steve allowed his hand to settle on her shoulder once more, and her eyes tracked down towards it, her expression still open and the confusion shining through as their eyes met.

“I’m sorry, too.” Steve said, and the confusion only grew. “I’m sorry for all the pain you’ve been through, and I’m sorry that you’ve felt that we were to blame, maybe even rightfully so.”

Wanda opened her mouth to reply, about to wave off his apology entirely. But Steve didn’t want that, so he hurried to finish before she could speak.

“ _But,_ I want you to know that you’re a part of this team now, and just the fact that you’re here and fighting for what’s right makes me endlessly proud of you. You’re going to do great things here, Wanda. I know it.”

A change went through Wanda at his words as she finally relaxed. She still stood tall, her shoulders back and proud, but now it seemed as if a weight had been removed from them. Her eyes seemed to gain a new glint, one that Steve had never seen in them before but that he was relieved to see. They cleared, leaving a striking green in their place.

“Thank you.” Wanda said, and the words were heavy with all the things she meant but didn’t have to say, because Steve understood.

Wanda’s life hadn’t been easy, and she’d made mistakes. But she’d been able to see those mistakes and had been strong enough to fix them, taking the consequences with grace and never making excuses.

Instead, she changed. And the world was a better place for it.


End file.
